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Have you ever tasted the most succulent, tender, fall off the bone ribs in a restaurant and wanted to make it at home? Well now you can. I made these today and I can safely say that I had a very happy husband next to me. These ribs were effortless to make and so worth it. They were so tender that I struggled to slice the ribs off to take the picture! The meat was literally falling off the bone. Yes…

It’s a great dish to make when friends are coming over, as you can leave them in the oven to slow cook whilst enjoying a glass of wine with your guests and not be stuck in the kitchen the whole time.

Now this is my recipe, inspired by lots of other recipes and adapted to whatever I had in the house. So you can adapt it too. Put whatever you want on them, there is no right or wrong way of making them. I’m sure they will be delicious no matter what!

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients:

2 rack of pork ribs

Dry Spice Rub:

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 heaped tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce:

100ml Jack Daniels (you can use less or more depending on how much you like it!)

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tbsp brown sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp Tobasco

1 tsp english mustard

1 tsp honey

50ml apple juice

1 tsp smoked paprika

Put all the dry spice ingredients in a pestle and mortar and beat to a fine rub. Use this rub to coat all over the ribs.

Place ribs in an oven tray and cover with foil. Cook in the oven at 160 degrees for 2.5 hours or until soft and tender and cooked through.

Meanwhile make the BBQ sauce. In a saucepan, add all of the sauce ingredients and mix together. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

Once the ribs are cooked, remove the foil and coat the ribs in the bbq sauce. Place back in the oven (uncovered) for a further 25 minutes until the sauce has cooked and thickened.

Serve with coleslaw or any sides you wish!

Now I’ll admit, my measurements are estimations simply because they are not as important as other recipes. It doesn’t matter if you add a little more tabasco or a little less apple juice. As long as you stick to the rough quantities then you will end up with a great sauce.

There is something about a warm bowl of chicken soup on a cold winter Sunday evening that makes you feel like everything is going to be okay. If you are feeling a bit under the weather, or just fancy an easy and tasty soup, then this recipe is for you.

It’s amazing how food can comfort you in many ways, and that comfort food does not always have to be unhealthy lardy dishes. Comfort food can also strike fond memories of your childhood, when your Mum would make you some soup if you are not feeling 100%. That first mouthful warms your insides and suddenly your spirits are lifted slightly, and that bond between mother and child is intensified just that little bit more. Thanks Mum.

So if you feel like making some soup for the soul, or you want to make someone feel a bit better, why not give this a try.

I am not ashamed to say that I took a massive shortcut in this recipe and used a rotisserie roast chicken bought from the supermarket. I love the taste of a rotisserie chicken compared to a home roasted chicken, but of course you can use either.

Ingredients:

1 carrot

1/2 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 chilli

A pinch of ground cumin

Sweetcorn (as much as you like)

1 rotisserie chicken (or any cooked chicken)

1 tbsp cornflour

500ml chicken stock

Dice the carrot and onion and finely slice the garlic and chilli. In a pot, add a little olive oil and place the vegetables in. Sauté gently until softened.

From your roasted chicken, remove the skin and shred some meat from the leg, thigh and wing (this meat is more tender and will not dry out.) Add the chicken to the pan.

Season the ingredients in the pan with sea salt, cracked black pepper and a pinch of cumin.

Add the chicken stock. In a water glass, mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water and then add to the soup to thicken it.

Simmer for a few minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

Tip: I used a chicken stock melt with boiling water as my stock, these can be found in all supermarkets. If not, a stock cube or fresh chicken stock will work too.

I have to say that I like my soup with a little bit of a kick! I believe spice diminishes any nasty germs but maybe that is a myth. If you don’t want the soup to be spicy, leave out the black pepper, chilli and cumin. But I have to say that these are the best ingredients so please don’t blame me if it is bland or boring! :p

Well I think it’s about time that I got this blog back up and running again. It seems as though I let work and well…life get in the way of what I really love to do, and for that I can only apologise. I forgot just how much I love to create my own images and make a big mess in my kitchen. So let’s get started!

A recent trend that I have picked up on is Halloumi Fries. I first tried them in Camden market (click here to see) with friends and I was blown away! Ever since then I have been wanting to make them at home so here it is.

Now I must mention that all the recipes I looked up had fancy spices like sumac and za’atar and pomegranate molasses in it, but unfortunately my kitchen cupboards are not that exotic, and I was too lazy to go out to the supermarket in the snow, so here is my version.

Slice the Halloumi into strips, making sure you don’t slice them too thin.

Mix the smoked paprika, oregano, cumin and thyme together and coat the fries. Then coat them in the plain flour. Any left over spices can be mixed together with the yoghurt (optional). Shake off any excess flour.

Deep fry the halloumi until golden brown and crisp. Place on a serving dish.

Drizzle the yoghurt over the fries and garnish with the pomegranate seeds, mint leaves and chilli flakes. Enjoy!

Tip: Dry the halloumi with a kitchen towel before you flavour them, otherwise the moisture from the cheese will spit when frying. I found this out the hard way…

I realise that deep fried cheese doesn’t really fit into the theme of healthy eating in January but life is too short not to indulge now and again. This is one of my favourite recipes and I will defend it with all my might. The salty and crispy cheese paired with sweet pomegranate seeds and mint just creates an explosion in your mouth. A must try! Oh go on…

It feels good to be back. I learnt that you can’t let life get in the way of doing what you really love. For me it’s food photography, but whatever it might be for you, keep it up!

Are you bored of seeing diet recipes all throughout January? Yes me too. There is no reason why healthy food can’t be fun and exciting to cook and eat.

If you have some spare time, why not try making some Chinese won tons? If you are having friends over, they will love it! Also, they are surprisingly easy to make so don’t worry.

You will need to buy some Chinese won ton wrappers from a good supermarket, a Chinese supermarket or online. I filled mine with pork mince but you can fill them with anything you want. Here’s what I did.

First of all you have to flavour your pork mince. Remember there is no strict recipe and you can add any flavours you want. To my pork mince, I added chopped garlic, ginger and chilli, spring onions, sesame oil, chopped carrots, salt and pepper. Simple!

Then add a small amount of pork mince to the middle of the won ton wrapper, dip your finger in water and spread on the edges of the wrapper. Next, fold one corner to the other (diagonally) and then join the bottom two corners together and press firmly.

Now your won tons are ready to cook. You can steam them or fry them, but I did both! So I got a large pan with a lid on a medium heat and added some sesame oil. I placed the won tons in the pan and let the bottoms fry for a minute or two.

Once the bottom is crispy, add a large splash of water to the pan (be careful here) and then quickly put the lid on. This steams the rest on the won ton and you will be left with a crispy bottom and a soft top. Delicious!

Serve with a soy sauce dip and some vegetables. Its absolutely gorgeous, you have to try this! Go on…

I’m not sure about you but I am definitely feeling the cold! Dark mornings and frosty streets tells me that winter is upon us. I don’t mind the winter, as long as I am wrapped up at home with a blanket and a good book 😉

Something else I like during this cold season is a warm comforting dessert on a Sunday evening. Dessert after Sunday dinner is good for the soul, that’s what I think anyway.

Why not try a really simple dessert of apple crumble? Its something that can be whipped up in no time, or something that is good to get the kids involved with. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really use a recipe for this apple crumble because I only wanted to make enough for 3 people.

So all I did was chop up 3 small apples (with the skin left on) and put them in a pan with a knob of butter, a tablespoon of brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon and ginger powder. Put the pan on a low heat and stew the apples for a few minutes, not too long though or you will have apple mush. You can add any flavour you want to your fruit, so be creative! I added raisins to mine (doesn’t sound very creative but it tasted lovely). Place the apples in a oven proof dish and place aside.

Then all you need to do is make the crumble mix. You can find lots of recipes online or use equal quantities of flour, sugar and oats, and half the amount of butter. For example, I used 40g of flour, sugar and oats and 20g of butter. Rub all the ingredients together until you have a breadcrumb like consistency and scatter over the fruit mixture. And there you have it! Place the crumble in the oven for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees C.

Serve with either custard or vanilla ice cream. Ooh its yummy! What other combinations do you like?

On a lazy bank holiday Monday, why not try and make your own McDonalds breakfast? It’s probably healthier (kind of), cheaper and at least you know what you are eating! I’ll admit, I have had a cheeky McDonalds breakfast before and as tasty as it is, you always feel a bit guilty and sluggish afterwards.

Making your own sausage and egg McMuffin couldn’t be easier and it tastes exactly the same. All you need is english muffins, good quality sausages, eggs and cheese. This is how I made mine.

You can either buy sausage meat or buy normal sausages and push the meat out of the skin. Shape them into thin and wide patties (they shrink when cooking) and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook. All you have to do is fry off the sausage patty in a pan with very little oil, turn it over and place slices of cheese on top to melt. I used cheddar cheese but you can use what you like.

Then for the egg, I used a ring to keep the shape of the egg round, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t have one. You could also use a really small egg frying pan. It just makes it easier to eat. Toast your muffin and that is it! Assemble, dollop some ketchup on the side and there you have your own cheeky breakfast. It is delicious and a little bit naughty, but what’s life without a little treat? Go on…you know you want to try it. The shops should be open right now right? 😉

Who would have thought that a ‘small’ country like Sri Lanka would have so much to offer? My husband and I recently visited this beautiful island and immediately fell in love with it. The hustle and bustle of the busy roads, with street vendors on the side selling anything from fresh fruit and veg to swim floats and wood carvings, kept us very entertained.

The people were so friendly that each and every person we met asked us where we were from, as they were so intrigued by us! They were very kind and friendly and wanted to learn about new people. Nobody bothered us or tried to convince us that we need to buy a lucky necklace that will cure any illnesses. The children smiled at us and waved like we were A-list celebrities.

The one thing I have to talk about is the food! The food was so memorable that I am convinced my carnivore husband could live as a vegetarian out there. From fresh exotic fruit such as papaya, rambutan and king coconuts, to pumpkin curry, lentil curry, mango curry and any other curry you can think of!

As a British Asian, I have eaten my fair share of curries, but never have I tasted curries such as these. The contrast between sweet and spicy wakes up your taste buds and makes you yearn for more. A traditional Sri Lankan lunch consists of a number of curries served with red or white rice, accompanied with roti, poppadoms and fried lake fish. Most importantly, it was served with a side of spicy ‘sambol’, which is a combination of ground coconut, chillies, onions and lime, which absolutely makes the meal kick! Delicious.

They utilise so much of what they can grow themselves. For example, no part of a coconut is wasted; the water and flesh is used in cooking, the shells are used for carvings and the husks used as brooms; the oil is used for cooking as well as beauty products and the leaves are woven together and used for shelter – you name it they make it!

I could go on and on about all the different experiences we had in Sri Lanka, such as releasing baby turtles in the sea or climbing Sigiriya rock, but I will be here all night. There was so much to explore in Sri Lanka that I would most likely visit again one day. And when I do, I’m going straight for a traditional lunch!

A beautiful country filled with warmth, vibrancy and excitement. A must see!